The U.S. has been in Afghanistan since 2001, and US strategy has centered on rebuilding Afghanistan’s crumbling infrastructure, mostly to expedite military logistics and maneuvers. Over $3 billion has been spent on a single project, the Ring Road. It was never completed.This Vox video explains.

“The past decade has seen a revolution in residential solar systems. Cheap panels and creative financing options have led to a massive increase in solar installations– and that increase is driving an employment boom. At the same time, the coal industry is experiencing a major downturn. But despite the current political rhetoric, it’s a downturn that’s been in the works for nearly 100 years. Automation, technical advances, and more recently, the rise of cheap natural gas have led to a significant drop in demand, one that the industry may never recover from.”